1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to exercise equipment and, in particular, it relates to wall mounted exercise devices that enable users to utilize standard resistance bands, suspension training straps and stretch straps in a number of exercise protocols and therapeutic applications.
2. Description of the Related Art
Resistance Bands
Due to its low cost, portability, ease-of-use and versatility, resistance bands have become the leading exercise tool among personal trainers and physical therapists. With its simple, low cost design elements and broad fitness and therapeutic applications, resistance bands have achieved wide acceptance among fitness and therapeutic professionals and become a standard piece of exercise equipment that is found in virtually every aspect of the fitness and therapeutic industries.
A number of companies manufacture and market resistance bands (e.g., Spri™, Power Systems™, Perform Better™, Thera-Band™). The three most commonly used forms of resistance bands are standard resistance bands; “JC” bands; and flat bands. Standard resistance bands consist of rubber tubing measuring about 5 feet in length with handles on each end. JC Bands are made with two five-foot rubber tubes with handles on one end and a connector at the other end that secure the bands side by side. The other side of the connector is a loop strap used to secure the JC Band to an anchoring device. Flat bands are four-inch wide flat resistance bands that come in rolls of 50 yards. These are most commonly used in therapy environments where varying lengths of the bands are used for therapeutic exercise. All versions of these bands come in varying strengths including, most commonly, extra light, light, medium, heavy and extra heavy. With so many manufacturers in the market and its ubiquitous use, resistance bands have become a de facto commodity in the fitness industry.
While there are a number of resistance band exercise devices in the market, for a myriad of reasons, none of them facilitate the versatility of the three most commonly used forms of resistance bands as an exercise tool. Many resistance band programs for home use fasten resistance bands to standard doors through the use of nylon door straps and clamps. Exercise Apparatus by Payne, U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2006/0084556 A1 published Apr. 20, 2006 uses an anchoring strap to “ . . . secure the exercise apparatus to either a door frame or to another immovable object” (Abstract). In Apparatus for Exercising Abdominal Muscles by Conner, U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,118 issued Jun. 16, 1998 the device is attached to the door with a clamp that is fastened to the top of a door or wall.
The Adjustable Strap and Band Exercise Device Mountable on Door by Rotella, U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,483 issued Nov. 27, 2001, is a resistance band adjustable strap that loops vertically around a door and is secured by a locking mechanism. On one side of the strap are a series of loops running from the floor to the top of the door. Users slip resistance bands through the strap loops to execute their exercises. A very similar device is Door Mounted Deadman for Exercise Device by Saure, U.S. Pat. No. 6,908,418 issued Jun. 21, 2005. This device also uses a door mounted strap and tension-locking clamp to secure the band vertically around the door. The only difference between Rotella and Saure, is Saure uses D-rings in place of nylon strap loops to anchor resistance bands.
There are a number of professional grade wall mounted exercise devices on the market that use resistance bands in various forms to execute exercises. Many of these exercise devices such as the Thera-Band Wall Station, require the use of proprietary resistance bands, i.e., bands made by Thera-Band that can only be used with the Thera-Band Wall Station. None of the three most commonly used resistance bands noted can be used with this device.
The Thera-Band Wall Station is a vertical single rail system with an adjustable arm that allows for continuous height adjustment. Proprietary resistance bands (i.e., “Thera-Band clip connect tubing”) are fastened to the device via clip hooks. A similar system is the Lifeline Wall Gym and the Lifeline Wall Gym Workstation. The Lifeline Wall Gym is a double rail pulley system and the Lifeline Wall Gym Workstation is a single rail system. Both require the use of proprietary resistance bands (i.e., “Lifeline Plugged Fitness Cables”).
The devices noted above are very similar in context to Wall Mounted Exercise Unit by Little, U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,546. This device is a double rail system that employs a vertically sliding “wall mount channel” that is locked in place within the rail by a “clevis pin.” Other similar devices include Elastic Cord Exercise Assembly by Hinds, U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,711; and Single Spine Elastic Cord Exercise Assembly by Hinds, U.S. Pat. No. 6,319,179.
There are also a number of wall mounted exercise devices on the market that use standard resistance bands, i.e., five-foot rubber tubing with handles on each end. The Web Slide Rail Wall Gym, manufactured by Cano, is a single rail system that uses nylon straps to anchor resistance bands to the wall unit. With numerous anchor points along a single vertical axis, the Web Slide Rail Wall Gym allows the user to adjust the height and angle of the resistance band. Due to the nylon loop anchor, standard JC Bands (i.e., with its closed loop design for anchoring the band) cannot be used with the device.
Suspension Training
Over the past several years, exercises using suspension straps have grown in popularity. A form of bodyweight training, suspension straps are made of nylon straps that are attached or anchored to a fixed object of sufficient strength to support a person's weight. Suspension exercise is a derivative of “rings” in gymnastics.
The straps typically consist of three components: anchoring portion of the strap; the portion of the strap that is used for exercises; and handles on each end of the training portion of the strap. In a gym setting, suspension straps are anchored to a number of devices including a large floor standing a-frame structure, a wall mounted frame and a wall mounted closed loop B-ring.
The user fastens the suspension strap to the anchoring device by: wrapping the strap around the anchoring device and locking it into place with a carabineer; or with a clip hook or carabineer directly to a closed loop anchor.
To adjust the length of straps, most of the commercially available straps use adjustment buckles and strap extenders. The buckles operate like a common luggage strap buckle that increases or decrease the length of the strap. Strap extenders are straps of varying lengths that increase the length of the anchoring portion of the strap. These straps are attached together using carabineers or clip hooks.
There are several companies marketing and selling suspension straps. The most popular is TRX™ Suspension Trainer™ from Anytime Fitness. Other suspension products include Jungle Gym XT and The Human Trainer™.
Stretch Straps
Stretching using stretch straps is another popular therapeutic modality. To perform a stretch, the body must be put in a position to lever and lengthen the muscle being stretched.
Stretch straps are commonly used in both fitness and therapeutic applications to create the necessary angles to lever the body. In their most simple form of a stretch strap is a yoga strap. This is a six to ten feet of yoga strap with a buckle on one end. The buckle is used to form a closed loop at one end of the strap for anchoring the strap to a foot or wrist. Once the foot or wrist is anchored, the user pulls the other end of the strap to execute the stretch. There are a number of other stretch straps on the market including the Stretch Out™ Strap. A more complex version of a yoga strap, the Stretch Out™ Strap is a six-foot strap with 10 loops used for grabbing or foot placement.